E LECTRONIC T HESES / D ISSERTATIONS AT GW Website:

Electronic Theses/Dissertations at GW What, Why, How, and When

What is an ETD? An ETD is a thesis/dissertation created as an electronic document or as a document plus supplemental files. All GW dissertations and theses are now submitted as ETDs to Proquest/UMI, the major archiving and distribution agent for U. S. dissertations. Archival copies of ETDs are also held in GW’s Institutional Repository hosted on the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) servers.

Why do an ETD? Because it is MANDATORY.

Why do an ETD? 1.Improved presentation of your ideas and increased opportunity for creativity. 2.Faster and wider access (particularly if set up as “open access”), providing greater visibility and increasing its impact on your field of study. 3.Greater control over release dates and dissemination. 4.Lower printing and copying costs. 5.More efficient interaction with faculty. 6.Develop skills in electronic publishing.

How do you do an ETD? 1.Become familiar with the ETD websites: (GW’s site) (Proquest’s submission site) 2.Write your dissertation as an electronic document in Word (or the word processing software of your choice). 3.Follow formatting requirements described in the GW ETD guidelines. 4.Defend the dissertation and make revisions as required.

How do you do an ETD? 5.Get final signoffs. After all final changes are made, submit the Electronic Theses / Dissertations Approval Form to your school to testify that you:  are submitting the final, approved document file;  have gotten any needed research approvals and copyright permissions; and  have indicated desired access to the dissertation (immediate or delayed/embargoed). 6.Convert the absolutely final, finished, correct, approved dissertation file and any supplementary files into PDF files. (A conversion program is provided at

How do you do an ETD? 7.Check the pdf file carefully. If formatting is wrong, go back to website for instructions on how to make sure fonts are embedded, use tabs correctly to indent, etc. 8.Submit the file. Go to  Complete the information form by providing contact information, title, keywords, and abstract  Upload the pdf.  Pay by credit card. 9.Respond promptly if you receive notification that additional formatting or other changes are required before the University can submit it to Proquest. Provide an address you check regularly!

Embellishments  Besides the main ETD document file, you can include supplementary pdf files (e.g., with graphics, charts, scales, photographs).  If you want to get fancier, or if you have a dissertation file greater than 250 MBs in size, you must submit the entire dissertation and supplementary files to Proquest on a CD after approval by your school and completion of ETD submission forms.  On a CD, you can include multimedia simulations, sounds, audio/video …almost anything.  Please consult with Proquest/UMI for more information

When do you submit an ETD? Dissertation deadline for SPRING graduation: April 1 Dissertation deadline for FALL graduation: January 15 Dissertation deadline for SUMMER graduation: April 1 Master’s thesis deadlines are the same, except the Spring deadline is May 15.

When do you submit an ETD? Everything (forms, pdf of your dissertation) must be reviewed, approved, and submitted at least 1-2 weeks before the deadline to leave time to resolve any problems.

After You Submit  The Gelman Library ETD Administrator and school ETD administrator will check your submission and contact you if they spot any problems.  If there are no problems, it will be transmitted with other dissertations from the same semester to Proquest/UMI.  You’ll get an acknowledging receipt after the ETD is reviewed at GW.  In a couple of months, it will be accessible on line Proquest’s dissertation database site, through the Gelman Library site ( under General Interest and Reference, Dissertation.

Issues to decide BEFORE you submit the ETD  Seeking permission to use copyrighted material in your dissertation.  Seeking an embargo of your dissertation to pursue a patent or book contract  Open Access vs. traditional publishing.  Filing the copyright with the U. S. government.

Permissions  Be sure to get permission from author or publisher to use material by other authors (extended quotes, tables or figures, scales used in the research, etc.).  See Copyright and Publisher Issues.

Immediate Release vs. Embargo  Can be embargoed for 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or, through school administrator, longer (even permanently).  Withhold only if you 1.are likely to pursue a book contract immediately for a book that will be very much like the dissertation; 2.have developed a scale, instrument, etc. that would have commercial value; or 3.have a patentable discovery.  If (2) or (3), GW copyright and patent policies may apply.

Open Access vs. Traditional Publishing  Open Access = available to the public for free worldwide, via Proquest UMI; traditional publishing = must be purchased through Proquest or acquired through GW interlibrary loan.  In the interest of broader dissemination of information, the University encourages open access.  Publishers are usually okay if the dissertation on which a book or article is based is Open Access; if in doubt, check.  Open Access calls attention to your work and increases the number of times it may be cited by other researchers – strengthening your reputation, applications for funding, and job searches.

Copyright Protection  You have the copyright by virtue of authoring the work.  You can call attention to that by including a copyright page in the work.  If you have reasons to fear infringement of copyright, you can pay through Proquest to file copyright with US government (or later if an issue arises).

Important Tips 1.Carefully review the ETD website. Follow the checklist, steps to submission, and best practices. 2.Don’t submit drafts. The file you upload to the ETD website should be your final, fully revised and approved document. 3.Check the details. Make sure titles and dissertation committee names are correct and consistent. 4.Don’t wait until the last-minute. 5.If you have any questions, ASK. Contact your school ETD administrator or the Gelman ETD administrator.